Zutara Week
by purinsesu-sereniti
Summary: a compilation of all my zutara week entries. via tumblr. years 2016-current
1. Starlight

He's never seen her more beautiful than in that moment.

The starlight illuminates her like a goddess; he sucks in a breath, mind churning with his attempt at finding the words to say to her. But, for once in his life Zuko finds he is utterly speechless. She has a way of doing this to him, tripping him up and making him feel like that kid that betrayed her in Ba Sing Sei. Despite the years that have passed, despite the forgiveness she's bestowed upon him, she still makes him feel like a child who knows nothing of the world.

"Zuko?"

Her vocals are soft, but they are enough to draw him back; he looks to her, standing there in the moonlight and he tries to smile. "You're a million miles away..." She says quietly, her sapphire colored irises finding his own amber colored ones. "Tell me..." How does he tell her what he's thinking? How does he tell her that he's made a mistake all these years? How does he tell her he's about to make the biggest mistake in all of his life? He's reminded of why Katara is even there, in the Fire Nation, so many years since the war had ended. His wedding. Such a thing was mere days away, hours really, and he was beginning to realize it was a big mistake.

"I can't." He says this simply, shaking his head as he turns away from her, unable to look her in the face. And that's when he feels it, the softest touch of her hand in his. The warmth of her skin against his own. The only thing he had ever wanted to feel. And it was happening there in the starlight of night. She's closing in on him, her body so close he can feel the warmth of it against his own despite the layers of clothes between them. "Katara..." He draws in her in, closer than ever, her body pressed against his own; Zuko is surprised at how perfectly she fits there.

She doesn't speak, she doesn't need to after all, and Zuko is thankful for that. There are no words he can find to explain his thoughts, his feelings. He supposes actions are the only thing that's going to get him through this moment. And so he does the only thing that makes sense: he kisses her. He kisses her as if she's the only thing anchoring his soul to this world, he kisses her as if she's the only thing left that's real in this world. She does not hesitate in kissing him back, but rather puts her arms around him and returns the kiss with as much passion as she can muster. When they pull apart moments later, she's breathless, and Zuko cannot help but to smile. "But Mai..." She whispers, her eyes flickering with the concern she feels for the other woman in his life, the one he was supposed to marry in two days time. But Zuko shakes his head and strokes her cheek, knowing there was nothing else in this world that would make him choose what he was choosing.

He just couldn't lose her, not again.

A


	2. Fire Lady

The crown was heavy upon her head, so much heavier than she had anticipated. Beneath her robes of state, she was sweating bullets, all the while fear crept into her heart. What if she couldn't do this? What if the people didn't like her...? How was it that she of all people, a mere waterbender from the South Pole, could sit upon the Fire Nation throne? Would they respect her? Would they rebel against Zuko for marrying a foreign girl, one with not even an ounce of royalty in her blood? Fear after fear raced through her mind, every thought worse than the one that came before it. She feared more so for Zuko than for herself... His reign had been turbulent so far, what if this was the one thing to send his people over the edge?

"Katara?"

She turned at the sound of a voice, a familiar voice that was the only thing that could draw her away from her whirling thoughts. "I thought you'd gotten lost," Zuko teased as he approached her, his own robes of state open and revealing his crimson and gold tunic beneath them. But, then their eyes met and he sobered, reaching for her hands as she tried to turn away. "What's the matter?" He drew her back and she bowed her head, unable to look him in the eye in a moment such as that.

Zuko had never seen her look such a way; so lost, so afraid. As if she didn't know where to go next. Thought after thought raced through his mind- had someone been rude to her (he'd make them pay!)? Was she feeling ill (he'd call for the best healer available!)? Did she miss home (he'd arrange a trip home tomorrow)? Any one of those things and so many more rushed through him as he put his palms to her cheeks, forcing her sapphire irises to meet his own gold. "Tell me, Katara."

And just like that, he had her spilling her guts. Zuko had that ability, to cajole her from even her foulest of moods with but a glance. He had the ability to get her talking, even when she wanted to remain silent. "What if I'm not a good queen?" She whispered, tears filling her eyes as she looked into his, all of her fears laid out in that one simple question. A bending master she might have been, but being queen had nothing to do with being a bender. "What if I can't do it?"

A soft chuckle escaped Zuko's lips and he lightly swiped away the tears that had fallen down her cheeks, leaning down to brush a kiss against her forehead. "Who's your head lady?" Katara spoke her name softly. "Who's my head chamberlain?" She spoke his name next. "Who's the groom that preps the carriage when we travel?" His name was on her lips at once. One after one, from the most obscure palace staff, to the highest of his advisors, she knew them all. "You're going to be the best queen, because you know them like no other queen ever has. Because you treat them with respect, they respect you more than they probably even respect me." He smiled as he watched the color return to her face, as her fears began to slowly dissipate. "And the rest of the world respects you because of who you are. It doesn't matter where you came from, all that matters is your loyalty to this Kingdom and to its people. You've put your life on the line for me, for this nation, and the whole world... And that's enough for everyone to fall at your feet." He stepped back, holding her for a moment at arm's length when they both heard the little knock at the door.

There stood Iroh, waiting to walk them out to where they would be announced for the very first time as the Fire Lord and Lady, and now there was no turning back. Zuko offered her his arm and together they strode out behind Iroh and into the main hall, which erupted into loud, jubilant cheering. As he led her to their thrones, all of the court was on their feet cheering for not them, but for her. Cheering her name, cheering for the lady that was to be their queen. Gone was the turbulent days of Ozai, of Azula... Gone were days of war and trouble, replaced instead with a kind hearted young woman who had made an impact upon them without even knowing it at all.

As Katara sank down onto her throne and she looked out into the sea of faces, she knew her worries were unfounded. Zuko was right, she would be fine. She would be a good queen to these people, because it was all she knew how to be. She was so unlike any of the others who came before her, she would do her best to protect them and the relationship she'd already long since established with the Fire Nation. She felt Zuko's hand against her own and she smiled over at him as Iroh made his announcement.

"I present to you, Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Katara."

She would be fine.


	3. Bloodbending

He'd never seen her look like that.

Zuko found he longed to reach out to her, to touch her arm or speak quietly in her ear, but she turned away from the battlefield long before he even had the chance. "Katara?" Sokka called out after her but she went on her way without pause, her long hair catching in the wind as she trekked back over the hill. "What's with her? We won, didn't we?" Sokka complained as he turned back to face the group, one hand rubbing the back of his neck, blue eyes somewhat troubled. Though he spoke a bit bluntly, Zuko knew he worried for his sister, as most big brother's did.

"She swore never to bloodbend again," Zuko interrupted before any of the others could speak, his own eyes still trained on Katara's retreating back. As she vanished from his eye sight he sighed, turning to face Sokka. "We won but at the cost of her own morals." Zuko could still yet recall the white fury that had crossed her features the first time he'd witnessed her bloodbend... This time there had been no fury, there had been nothing but disgust. Without waiting to hear if any of the others spoke, Zuko pushed past Aang and Toh, ignoring their calls after him. He followed along the same path she had, his intuition taking him right to where she sat on the river bank with her arms around her knees that she'd drawn to her chest, chin resting precariously upon them. As he approached she stirred, lifting her head to look over her shoulder at him, her sapphire eyes full of discontent. "Hey," he said softly as he dropped onto the ground beside her, one leg outstretched, an arm raising to run through his raven locks.

"Hey."

Her response was soft but it was a response all the same. Zuko turned to look at her and found she was already looking back, a wobbling frown twisting her lips. "Katara..." He murmured her name a moment before the first tear fell. Usually in a moment such as this, he wouldn't have known what to do. In a moment like this, he would have found any reason to escape. But with her... When it was Katara looking back at him, he knew exactly what to do. And so he reached for her without hesitation, drawing her into a tight embrace; at first, she stiffened with shock at his touch, but she relaxed within seconds, burying her face into the crook of his shoulder. He held onto her as she cried soft tears, tears he knew she shed out of guilt and confusion.

It was only a few moments later that she suddenly drew back, a crimson blush creeping into her cheeks as she swiped at her eyes. "Zuko, I'm sorry I..." She trailed off, shaking her head as if to silence herself from speaking. But then there he was, touching her hand, offering her the comfort she needed to turn her gaze back to his. "I shouldn't cry... We won, did't we?" Her words brought a smile to his face, for how unaware was she that she'd just quoted her own brother. "Am I wrong to be upset?"

Zuko shook his head, well aware of how her fingers were clutching at his, even more aware of just how warm her skin really was. "You did what you had to, Katara. You were protecting the others." Images of the battle flashed before him; Toph, Aang, and Sokka had been trapped by their enemy, a group of Fire Nation soldiers. Had she not stopped their attacker, the others surely would have died from the blast. "But you are allowed to be upset." She had bowed her head as he spoke, but lifted her gaze back to his when he'd fallen silent. "Just be upset at the right person," he went on suddenly, pressing on with the thought whirling around his head. "You can't blame yourself- blame those soldiers that put you in the situation. They threatened people you love and you would do anything to protect them, no matter the cost, right?" She gave a nod as a single tear curved the length of her cheek. "You did nothing wrong, Katara. You saved our lives today with bloodbending because that's how much you care. Don't be mad at yourself for that."

At first, he didn't know how she was going to react to his heartfelt words- he felt a little embarrassed now that he'd stopped talking and for a moment he contemplated running. But then she was reaching out, the soft skin of her palm suddenly pressed against his scarred cheek. "How is it you always know just what to say?" She was leaning in, her blue eyes wide and shining in the dying sunlight. "I could still heal this, you know." Her words came as a whisper, the pads of her fingers tracing across the scarred plane of skin beneath his eye. "But I think it suits you." Zuko could feel his cheeks growing warm with her words, his golden eyes widening ever so slightly as she pulled back again, her lips curving with a small smile. "Thanks, Zuko."

When Zuko stood a few moments later, he did not hesitate to offer Katara his hand, pulling her up alongside him. Everything about this moment just felt right and Zuko found he didn't want to let go of her hand. But he did, pulling it back and awkwardly running his hand through his hair, unaware that she realized then it was a nervous habit of his. "We should get back... Before the others..." He turned away for just a moment, looking out over the hill as if he expected the others to have followed after by now. But when he saw no one he turned back to face her and she grinned at him, a true smile that lit up her eyes. Together they made their way back towards the hill, past the battlefield towards the camp they had set up earlier that day, where sure enough all of their friends had already gathered.

As they settled in alongside the others, her eyes focused upon Zuko, who was laughing over something Sokka had said, and she couldn't help but to smile. Their relationship had formed slowly these last few weeks but Katara knew without a doubt that her feelings for Zuko were as strong as they were for any of her other friends. If not... Stronger. She simply couldn't help but to feel the pull towards him and part of her wondered if he felt it too. He had spoken the truth to her, blunt but real words that none of the others would have given to her. Her friends meant everything to her and she would have willingly laid down her life in exchange for theirs, but her bloodbending had saved them all. It disgusted her to take control of someone else like that but if it meant her friends were safe, then she supposed she'd even do it again. But thanks to Zuko, she wouldn't feel so guilty anymore.

Thanks to Zuko, she felt at peace.


	4. Vigil

It had been several days.

He stayed beside her, unable to take himself from her side, not even for a moment. He hardly ate, barely slept, his mind swirling with the possibility of losing her; nothing in all of his life had ever caused him more fear than that. Though others tried to push him away, to send him to sleep in his own bed, he couldn't. He just couldn't leave her. It was the middle of the seventh night, the moon hung low in the sky, moonbeams illuminating her body in the bed. Earlier that evening a healer had opened the window, to let in some of the cool summer air, in hopes that would help lower her fever, and he had not bothered to close it yet. He gripped her hand lightly, his arm extended upwards to grasp it; he was draped over her legs, his other arm tucked beneath his head in a makeshift pillow. The wind was lightly blowing, rustling the trees outside her window, and as he closed his eyes, he felt the clutch of her hand, the smallest but strongest grasp of her fingers as she clawed her way back into the waking world.

In an instant he was sitting up, peering over her, his other hand reaching out to brush a stray lock of hair from her face. She came to slowly, her eyes blinking for several moments before she fully came to, her mouth moving with silent words. "Zuko..." She murmured, her voice soft, hardly more than even a whisper, confusion settling into place on her features. As she shifted, she hissed with pain, her expression taut with it, her skin paling as her eyes fell closed and she leaned back against her pillows.

"Easy... It's okay..." He murmured softly, drawing his chair closer to the head of her bed, keeping his hand locked in hers. "Don't move too much..." Her eyes fluttered open and she was panting slightly, her one hand at her left side, where beneath her clothes was a heavily bandaged wound. "You're hurt pretty bad." She nodded in response, her eyes flickering with the memory of the battle they'd just fought. The battle they'd almost lost. And while they may have come out the victors, she didn't feel all that victorious. No... Because winning came at a price, a price almost too high to pay. "It's taking a long time for any healer from the Water Nation to arrive. The roads are dangerous right now." Of course they were. The Fire Nation was caught admist a small civil war- those loyal to their deposed Fire Lord against those loyal to its new one, the young man sitting at her bedside. "The last of the rebellion should be squashed in a day or so, then they'll be able to make it through." He knew there was more to the pain behind her eyes, pain that was much more than the physical pain she was in.

"It's fine... I can heal myself now..." She murmured, though she found she felt too weak to even lift a hand, let alone attempt to heal herself. Instead she lay back against her pillow, her head turned away, blue eyes glistening with tears. "He's gone, isn't he?"

Her words struck him and Zuko felt his stomach clench, his heart skipping a beat. But she then turned back to look at him, her eyes on his, and he found that he could not speak. Instead, he merely nodded, watching as the heartbreak spread across her features. She leaned back once more, a tear trailing down her cheek, her hand raising up to cover her mouth as she choked on a sob. "H-he didn't suffer..." Zuko tried to offer her a little comfort with the truth- Aang had faded so quickly, there had been no pain, no fear in his eyes as he took his last breath. She nodded, silent as tears rolled down her cheeks, her hands rising up to angrily swipe them away. "We didn't bury him... Not yet." Zuko then said, watching as surprised widened her teary eyes and she lowered her hands which Zuko promptly took with his own, to offer them the smallest of squeezes. "I couldn't, not without you..." To his surprise, Katara was moving, throwing her arms around his neck, ignoring the shooting pain it caused her. Too stunned to respond at first, Zuko stiffened, but then returned her embrace as gently as he could, as to not injure her further. A moment later she lay back, allowing him to carefully tuck the blankets back around her, allowing him to get her a cup of water, to fluff her pillows and then tenderly wipe away all the traces of her tears. "Just get better." He urged softly, sitting back in his chair, no closer to leaving her side than he had been a day ago. He wasn't going to leave her side until she could take her first step out of the bed.

"Thank you... Thank you, Zuko..." Her sleepy voice broke the silence a few moments later and he smiled upon her, his golden eyes finding hers, well aware of the pace his heart was beating, and completely unaware of hers. He nodded and lids fell closed over those beautiful blue eyes and she drifted off.

[x x x ]

On the tenth day since the final battle, a healer from the Northern Water Tribe finally arrived.

The old woman was ushered into Katara's bedchambers, only to shoo out a very agitated Fire Lord, who complied only at the last single moment. Katara, who though was in pain, felt much better and had tried to tell Zuko and the Fire Nation healers that she was fine, sat propped up on the pillows while the old woman bustled around her, mumbling. "Your fever broke two nights ago?" The woman questioned without so much as a hello, raising her sapphire hues to meet the younger woman's. Katara nodded but had no time to respond as the woman went on speaking. "Good, good, here you will take this to keep it at bay," she thrust a small vial towards her, to which Katara arched a brow, but swallowed down the vile liquid without a word. "I must be sure of no infection before I heal you," she went on, coming around to the left side of the bed, taking the seat that Zuko had previously been occupying. Laying back, Katara allowed the woman to remove her upper layer of clothing, revealing the bandage that covered the awful wound to her left side. As she pulled back the bandaging, Katara couldn't help but to flinch, the pain quick and sharp. The burn was large, covering a good portion of her left side all the way down to her hip. "It was a lightning attack, was it not?" Once again Katara nodded, the memories of the battle flooding her thoughts; how Azula had crept up upon her, taking advantage of her when her attention was drawn from the battle and instead lay on Aang high above. The lightning had crackled and she had turned, but there was no time to run, no time to even try to block it. It'd cracked like a whip, catching her in the side, taking her down in several seconds. "It's healing well." The older woman said as she inspected the wound, her blue eyes squinting slightly, but then she rose her gaze back to Katara's face. "You are lucky."

Now that was something Katara could definitely agree with.

They lasped into silence (although the old healer really didn't give her much of a chance to speak when she had been talking) and Katara was lost to her own thoughts. So many things had happened in the world these last few days... So much had changed. The war was over, the Fire Lord deposed and a new one crowned. The Avatar had been lost to the war but, despite her sadness, she knew he (or she) would be born again. Though Aang was lost to them, his reincarnation would eventually be reborn, for that was the nature of the Avatar. So consumed was she by her own thoughts, Katara did not hear the woman as she spoke. Blinking back to reality, she offered the old healer an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry?"

"I asked, how does that feel?" The old woman asked, pulling her hands away from the young woman's side. It would take more than one healing session to make such a wound heal completely, but in a day or so, the girl would be able to tend to it herself. In truth, she was no longer needed, the danger had passed for the girl's life... But, the young Fire Lord had insisted and so she came. The girl nodded, a faint smile curving her lips, as she said it felt much better. Carefully, the woman rubbed a thick cream onto the wound, knowing even with her lightest of touches it would cause the young woman pain; but she remained silent, hardly even flinching as her bare hand connected with the wound. Dressing it quickly, the healer helped her back into her top and shot a quick glance to the door. "I believe your friend is waiting with baited breath to return to your side." Katara looked up in surprise, her eyes widening slightly, a soft chuckle escaping her. "From what I've been told, he's kept a bedside vigil from the moment they brought you into this room." From the look that passed over her pretty face, it seemed that the young woman had not been aware of that. Rising up, the healing woman smiled at the sight of the shocked girl's face- it was quite apparent to _her_ what was going on between the two, but it seemed as if they were both oblivious. Ah, young love, she supposed, it had to find its own way. "Keep to this bed another day, do you hear me? I will return tomorrow for another healing session, then you may rise. But small, light activity only. No bending for at least a week. And certainly no sparring or fighting for a few." Katara nodded as the instructions were thrown at her, but her thoughts were not of herself, they were of Zuko. That night... That night she'd woken up with him at her bedside, that had not been the first night he'd been there. That had been the _seventh._

When the healer had gone with promises of returning the next day, the door opened again and Zuko came in, looking tired and strained, with his hair falling into his eyes and his hands at his sides. Katara felt something deep within her heart and she patted the side of the bed, indicating for him to sit there instead of on the chair. "You should rest," she began and immediately he opened his mouth to respond, to argue with her over the matter. Instead, she reached out, putting one slim finger against his lips, hushing him before he had a chance to make a sound. "Let me rephrase: you will go rest." Her blue eyes found his and he could not help but to smile as she took his hands, squeezing them, her own lips curved into a smile. "Go on, I can't have you collasping from exhaustion, they'll have me thrown in the dungeon." She teased, which illicited a chuckle from him, which could only make her smile more. She stared at him, taking in the sight of his ever-familiar face, memorizing the look in his golden hues as they stared back at her. "Don't make me force you." With a nod, Zuko slowly rose from the bed, forcing his feet to drag him away from her side. As he approached the doorway, he turned back, to find she was staring at him once again, those big blue eyes penetrating, staring deep into his soul, her lips moving with silent words. He lifted his hand, a silent gesture of goodbye, a smile cracking her features, her head tilted, dark hair cascading across her shoulders. Her image frozen in his mind, he escaped the room, down the hall and went into his own, shutting the door behind him.

Climbing into bed, Zuko found for the first time in days, he was tired, exhausted really. He'd hardly pulled the covers over himself before he was falling into the darkness of sleep; when he dreamed, it was of her... Her lovely face hovered above, her soft vocals calling out his name... _Zuko..._ He woke with a start, groggy, unsure of his surroundings. There was a weight across his legs and he shifted, blinking back to reality. In his palm appeared a flickering flame, giving him enough light to make out the figure draped over his legs... _Katara._ He sat up, careful as to not wake her, and he glanced around the room, wondering just how much time had passed. It was dark in the room and as he glanced out the window, he realized it was dark outside too. Hours had clearly passed, but he was still so tired, so groggy as if he'd been slumbering for days... Sliding his legs out from beneath her, Zuko rose up and gently put his arms beneath her slim frame. Zuko could only wonder what she was doing there, when clearly she was told to remain in her own bed, where she could continue to heal properly. He deposited her into his own bed, watching as she slept for a moment, jumping only a moment later when the door to his room swung open. It was his uncle, Iroh, the old general who over the last week had taken up the role of deputy Fire Lord, ruling in Zuko's name until he could be crowned. "You're awake, nephew." Iroh said, keeping his tone low, his eyes sweeping from Zuko to the sleeping girl in his bed. "She hasn't left your side for two days."

Zuko's head snapped back to Iroh, his golden eyes widening with his shock. "Days?" He questioned, swiveling his gaze from his Uncle to the sleeping girl and back once more. "She should be in her own bed, she needs her own rest..."

"She's kept a constant vigil at your side. She's a stubborn girl." Iroh chuckled, remembering how she'd nearly fought off the guards outside of Zuko's door when they had not let her in that first day. "I told her to remain in her room, in bed, but she insisted she be here, as you'd been at her side." Zuko could not explain the feeling that overwhelmed him in that moment, but it was something stronger than he had ever felt in all of his life. When Iroh had left with the promise of returning shortly with food for him, Zuko returned to the bed, where Katara was turning over, waking as Zuko sat down beside her. She blinked a few times, lifting a hand to sleepily rub her eyes, a small, embarrassed smile taking root upon her features as she realized where she was.

"You're so reckless," he muttered, reaching out, not really thinking about what he was doing or what she might say. His mouth found hers and he felt her stiffen in his grip, but only for a split second, and then she was melting against him, fitting against him as if she had always been meant to be there. And there is where she would stay- he would make sure of it.


	5. Dragons

The air was warm and full of electricity. A storm was coming, that much she was certain of, she could feel it in her bones. Darkness was falling swiftly upon the land and as she turned, the wind caught her hair, sending it whipping about her features. Reaching up a hand, she tucked the stray strands behind her ear and put her eyes to the sky as lightning streaked across it.

He had never seen a sight such as the one before him; Katara, with her back half-turned to him, exposing his sight to her profile lit up by the dying sun. It was sinking fast beyond the horizon, darkness covering the entire nation as the storm began to take root overhead. He tore his eyes from her as the first streak of lightning shot across the sky, its movements swift and dangerous, reminding him for a moment of a dragon. Within him, something burned, and he returned his eyes to her. She had turned her back to him then and he could see nothing but her long, dark curls dancing in the wind. He could see the blue of her eyes, beautiful and penetrating, as the dying light caught her one last time... Taking a deep breath, he took a single step forward just as the thunder crashed overheard.

The thunder boomed and she nearly jumped from her skin; a shaking laugh escaped her and she tipped her head back just as the first drop of rain splashed down onto her face. The sky was ablaze with color, crimsons and golds, and yet marred by deep purples as the storm clouds rolled overhead. The rumble of thunder sounded once again and she felt the distinct feeling of eyes on her, eyes that were familiar, eyes that she knew. She slowly revolved on the spot and there he stood, the darkness half-consuming him, his golden colored eyes a beacon in the dark. How long had it been...? How many years had passed since she locked gazes with those beautiful eyes of his? Since she had heard his voice and not just imagined it as she read his words on a piece of paper? "Zuko..." She said softly, her voice lost to him in the rumble of the storm, but he watched her lips move over the familiar syllables of his name.

When the war had ended some years ago, they had gone their separate ways- they had to, after all. They both had different responsibilities to take care of. She had a home to return to, a family that she had not seen in all her years traveling with Aang and the others. He had a nation to take control of. She had returned home to take care of her ailing grandmother and to help guide their little village out of poverty. Now, seven years later things were much diferent in the village where she had grown up. And things were different in the fire Nation as well, Zuko had made sure of that. They had written consistently over the years, both never quite able to say the truth of their thoughts. Neither able to come right out and say just how much they missed the other.

But then, one night, Zuko had woke from a strange dream; it had been a night such as this very one, a night full of electicity, the raw energy running through his very veins. He had been standing on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the vast expanse of land that was the Fire Nation, when the sky had opened up above him and he caught sight of it: a dragon. It was red and sleek, gliding through the sky like a comet, it's fiery breath scorching the ground around him from even such a distance. He took his eyes off the sky for but a moment and when he looked back up, a second dragon had appeared, blue and beautiful as it chased after the red one. The two had met in the sky, twirling around and and around one another, flying higher and higher into the air. When he'd woke, she was the first waking thought he had, and so that very moment he'd written a letter asking her to come, to come to the Fire Nation.

That had been over two weeks ago and he'd not heard a response from her, so he had thought perhaps she was simply too busy to acknowledge his letter. He knew of her activies, he kept close tabs on her and all of the others in their little group. He knew she moved back and forth between her home and the Northern Water Tribe- he knew she trained waterbenders in both offense and even healing for those who showed the ability to do it. And so, he'd pushed it from his mind, until one night he had heard rumor of a girl with brilliant blue eyes standing on the seaside cliff, just outside the palace grounds. He had left his throne room when his uncle had come to him with the rumor, a twinkle in his eyes as he watched his mouth drop open and then wordlessly close. Zuko had tried to keep himself from running and instead walked quickly, shedding the outermost layer of his robes as he went, shoving them into the hands of a passing by maid. He had rushed out into the night air and sure enough, as he approached the path that led to the cliffs, he could see her.

And that was how he ended up standing there, watching her lips move with the syllables of his name, watching as her blue eyes widened and a smile brightened her features. He felt his own lips curving with a smile as the first drop of rain bounced off his forehead. She was even more beautiful than she had been that last time he saw her, her height the exact same meaning he would tower over her; her hair was so long, longer than ever, styled the same as it had been years ago. Her eyes though... Those eyes were the same as they had always been. Without waiting another moment, he closed the gap between them, pulling her into his arms as the lightning flashed overhead. Her arms closed around him and he held on tightly, remembering every moment they had together in the span of those few moments that they held onto one another. "You're here..." He said softly, his breath warm against her ear, his arms still wrapped around her. He heard her give something between a laugh and a sob and she was nodding, her head pressed into his chest.

He had grown so much taller, she noticed, so much stronger... The arms that held her were not the arms that had held her that last time seven years ago. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she drew back, looking up into his face, her eyes full of tears that she blinked against, a vain attempt to keep them from falling down her cheeks. In that moment, she could not help but to think of the dream that had sent her this way, the reason she had come to the Fire Nation without so much as a letter to him. She had woken from a dream one night a few weeks back, a dream of beautiful fire-breathing dragons that streaked across the sky. A pair of them, one red, one blue, had flown through the sky, circling one another as they flew through the clouds. When she had woke that morning, her initial thought had been of him, and so she packed a bag and left her snowy home for the second time in all of her life. "I'm here," she replied with a true laugh, the sound like music to his ears. "I'm sorry for surprising you like this, I should have wrote but I..."

Zuko felt his heart skip a beat as she spoke and he must have shown his surprise because she arched a brow, a silent question as to what was wrong. "I wrote you a letter.. You didn't... You didn't get it?" It was her turn to look surprised and she shook her head as a drop of rain hit her face, trailing her cheek like a tear. A laugh escaped him and he shook his head, reaching up his hands to cup her cheeks in his palms, her skin warm against his. "I wrote you asking you to come weeks ago, I thought you were busy with your grandmother or in the Northern Water Tribe!" Katara was shaking her head, chuckling as the thunder rumbled and lightning lit up the sky overhead. "I can't believe you're really here..." He trailed off, feeling his cheeks growing warm as his lips spilled his true feelings. "I've missed you, Katara."

A small smile graced her features and she slipped her arms back around him, pressing her face into his chest. "I've missed you too, Zuko." At that moment, the sky opened up and a heavy rain began to fall, soaking them both within seconds. Both laughing, they stumbled back towards the Fire Nation palace, where Zuko would put her into the best rooms, and she would pull him into the room behind her, waving away the towels being offered by maids who worried over the Fire Lord taking ill from being so wet. She would pull the water from their clothes, their hair, even their shoes, leaving them as dry as they had been before the rain had begun to fall. And then they would talk- they would talk about everything they had done over the last seven years without one another, but the one thing they would not yet mention would be how a dream of dragons brought them together again.

That would be a conversation for another day.


End file.
